Calling for the closure of the case, the villagers said that the government should have stuck to their original promise and not played with the lives and feelings of the innocent locals.
Emphasizing how the youth of the village are affected by the cases, the locals questioned why the government had not responded to its past gram sabha resolutions and instead chose to act in this manner.
They pointed out that the gram sabha had demanded for the setting up of an investigating team and closure of the case. The Sarpanch Melwyn Sanchez pointed out that the only acknowledgement the panchayat had received post the past gram sabha resolution, was when the IT department and election office to whom separate letters had been written, stated that the matter is referred to the higher ups.
The incident has caused widespread anger in the village and the tension was palpable at the meeting as some of the villagers were still aghast and shocked at the turn of events. Post the meeting villagers said that they wanted the issue to be discussed at the assembly session and for the chief minister to make the government’s stance clear given that in the past the former chief minister had made an assurance that the matter would be resolved in four months’ time.
Other key decisions taken at the meeting was to provide fish at subsidized rates to the village and surrounding areas and that the pancahayat would ask the Cutbona boat owners to provide the same. The sarpanch stated that he was not aware if the fisheries department had allotted a mobile fish cart for the village
A resolution was adopted to acquire dry dock at Cavelossim for the benefit of boat owners.
The signed representation submitted by the boat owners for acquisition of land for pulling of boats at the fishing jetty was placed before the gram sabha. While the extension of the jetty was opposed the village panchayat resolved to write to the captain of Ports for lease of 70 sq mts of land.
The Velim panchayat also criticized Parrikar for backtracking on his earlier assurance.
